The Duquesne Perspective: Q & A with The Duke from Dukes Court

With back-to-back losses to St. Joseph's and Xavier, Wednesday's game at Duquesne has become a must-win for the Minutemen. With Ron Everhart's club at 13-5 on the season -- and No. 3 in the nation in scoring -- this game will be a real challenge for UMass against an exciting, athletic team that is hungry for respect. With so many A-10 teams having great seasons, I think Duquesne's success has fallen under the radar.

Q: What are the things that the Dukes have been doing well this year that have allowed them to go 13-5?

Kojo Mensah

The Duke: Ron Everhart has been the biggest reason Duquesne has turned things around. RE cleaned house last year getting rid of players who were not Division 1 talents or players who simply did not want to work hard enough. RE also was able to bring in two very talented transfers who sat out last year, Shawn James from Northeastern and Kojo Mensah from Siena. James is one of the best players in the A10 this year and one of the best shot blockers in the country. In addition to James and Mensah RE brought in two solid JC players, Reggie Jackson and Gary Tucker, and two talented freshman Damian Saunders and Bill Clark. In short RE was able to bring a collection of talented players to Duquesne for the first time in over a decade.

Q: Duquesne is presently No. 3 in the nation in scoring while UMass is No. 8. Have the Dukes played games this season against opponents that like to run and gun as much as they do?

The Duke: No one seems to like to run as much as Duquesne, and when teams have tried to play Duquesne's uptempo style of play things didn't work out well for the opposition.

Damian Saunders

Q: Have the fans gotten behind this team moreso than in the past? Is this team big news in Pittsburgh? What will the game environment be like Wednesday?

The Duke: There have been a lot more fans at the AJ Palumbo Center than in years past but considering the drastic turnaround the Dukes are experiencing, (Duquesne had a total of 3 wins two seasons ago) I would have expected a lot more people to be jumping back on the Duquesne bandwagon. As of two years ago Duquesne barely received any coverage in the Pittsburgh media, so the fact that they get almost daily coverage in the two local papers is a nice change.

I don't know if most people in Pittsburgh, (outside of Duquesne diehard fans) realize what a huge game this is for the Dukes. I wouldn't expect a 'hostile' environment on Wednesday night to be honest.

Shawn James

Q: Lets talk big men. How does the team utilize James and Achara (both 6'10") on offense? In other words, are they the kinds of players who can dominate in the post with physical, bruising play? Or are they more "finesse" big men (for lack of a better term)?

The Duke: James and Achara rarely are on the floor at the same time. James is a huge presence on defense, but on offense he is inconsistent, some games he will take over on offense, others he will be less aggressive about getting the ball and going to the hoop. The Dukes are not dependent on James for offense, he can have an off game and the Dukes are still capable of winning. Achara likes to post up down low and he has a few nice moves under the hoop, but he is a little soft and if he misses a few shots in a row he loses his confidence.

Q: I read that you thought this was the biggest Duquesne home game of the year. Is that due to a certain perception of UMass, or is it that Duquesne wound up with a sort of blah home conference schedule?

The Duke: I consider this the biggest home game of the season for Duquesne mostly because we play Xavier, Rhode Island and Dayton on the road, and because Duquesne will be fighting with UMass and Charlotte for the 4th spot in the A10. I think 4 teams from the A10 can make the NCAA Tournament and a win against UMass is essential for Duquesne to have a shot at that 4th spot. You are right Duquesne does have a blah home conference schedule, and we are lucky to have our home and home games against bad A10 teams like St. Bonaventure and Fordham.

For a lot more great information on the Duquesne Dukes, be sure to check out Dukes Court.